A comparative study of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell functionality in C57BL and mdx mice

Patients with DMD have low bone mass and a high incidence of fractures, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this pathological condition are unknown. Because bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are the progenitors of bone-forming osteoblasts, we hypothesized that DMD leads to dysfunction in the differentiation of BMSCs. We isolated BMSCs from C57BL control and mdx mutant mice, a well-established mouse model of DMD, and compared their abilities of proliferation, differentiation, and the expression of lineage-specific genes. Results showed that the proliferation and osteogenic and myogenic differentiation of BMSCs from mdx mice were significantly lower than those from C57BL mice. Because mutations in dystrophin gene cause DMD, our results demonstrate that dystrophin deficiency leads to dysfunction in the differentiation and proliferation of BMSCs.